Nuke Soccer

Canada to play another day for Germany 2010
Canada’s women’s U-20 team fell 0:1 after extra time to Mexico today in the semi-final stage of the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship. The loss pushed Canada out of contention for a second-straight CONCACAF title as it will now have to fight Costa Rica in the match for third place. It will be this Saturday’s Canada-Costa Rica match that decides the third and final CONCACAF entry for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Germany 2010.

“For what we have shown in four matches thus far, we deserved to qualify today,” said national coach Carolina Morace. “I would have preferred that we played poorly and won.”

Either team could have won it in regulation time. Canada had the greater number of chances while Mexico ’s Sandra Mayor hit the post in the 73rd minute. Canada ’s Shelina Zadorsky hit the post in extra time in the 97th minute, but it was Mexico that scored the winner just seven minutes later. A Verónica Corral corner kick in the 104th minute slipped through goalkeeper’s Cynthia Leblanc’s fingers and into the net.

Canada had two wonderful chances in the opening 25 minutes of the match, twice on the right foot of Chloé Malette. On the first chance, Julie Casselman played the ball wonderfully forward to Malette. With Mexico’s goalkeeper Aurora Santiago already out by 15 yards, Malette tried but failed to chip the ball over the goalkeeper.

Almost 15 minutes later, Malette caught a throw in from Bryanna McCarthy, beat the two checking Mexicans, ran through another pair of defenders, but then hurried her shot wide.

Two more chances late in the first half came off headers inside the Mexican 18-yard box. In the 38th minute, Casselman crossed a ball just past the net that Malette headed only a foot wide of the right post. Then in the 40th minute, captain Chelsea Stewart beat two Mexican defenders down the right side to cross the ball into the box. Casselman did her best to get into position, but did not get a strong enough header to beat Santiago.

“That is the key to international experience,” said Morace. “When you have one occasion to score, you have to score.”

Early in the second half, Adriana Leon made a great run down the right side and crossed the ball across the goalmouth. Neither of Canada’s two onrushing players – Malette or Casselman – could touch the ball into the net.

Canada made two of its three substitutions in the second half, first Jenna Richardson for Malette in the 61st minute and then Shelina Zadorsky for Casselman in the 74th minute. Just four minutes off the bench, Richardson had a good first chance that went just wide of the net.

In the 67th minute, Leon played a pass to Chelsea Stewart who fired a shot just wide of the net. Then in the 83rd minute, she produced a great dribble before passing the ball to Richardson. Richardson played the ball forward to Gina Pacheco, but then Pacheco was outmuscled off the ball.

Late in the half, Richardson made a great run down the right side, but couldn’t get a strong enough cross from the touchline. Just over a minute later, Pacheco tried her speed down the right side, but her cross was cleared by the Mexican defence.

In extra time, Canada made its final substitution in the 98th minute, bringing on Rachel Lamarre for Leon. The change came with Canada building the momentum. It was just one minute earlier that Zadorsky fired that terrific shot off the outside of the left post.

At the other end, Canadian goalkeeper Cynthia Leblanc was her usual terrific self. She made an excellent diving stop in the 92nd minute and then later cut down the angles to force Corral to shoot wide in the 102nd minute.

Unfortunately, Leblanc did not have luck on her side in the 104th minute when Corral fired a corner kick into the air. Leblanc went up to catch the ball, but it slipped through her hands into the net.

“I felt bad for Cynthia because she played so well,” said coach Morace.

After the goal, both sides had chances in the last 15 minutes. Leblanc made an excellent save in the 116th minute while Canada played without central defender Lexi Marton who was briefly sidelined from a collision on defence. Then Mexico’s defence was strong in blocking what could have been a dangerous shot from Canada ’s Richardson in the 119th minute.

Canada gave it all that it could, but did not have enough to score the equalizer.

“We were worried about extra time because many of our players had been sick,” said Morace. “They did well, but we knew that they only had so much.”

Canada will look to rebound quickly on Friday before playing its final match of the 2010 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship on Saturday January 30. Canada will face Costa Rica at 13.30 local time in the match for third place. The winner will qualify for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Germany 2010.